Month: November 2015

There was a time when Anwar Ibrahim and ADIL (later KEADILAN, and then Parti Keadilan Rakyat) enjoyed the massive support of the rakyat no matter the program. That was the time when those who hated his guts such as the DAP and PAS treated him and his party as a political mules. The jockeys rode to victory in many places in 2008 while PKR only got the MB seat in Selangor by virtue of PKR being able to provide a Malay candidate as the MB.

As time goes by, the rakyat can finally see that other than Rafizi, Wan Azizah, N Surendran, Nurul Izzah and Tian Chua, PKR has nonother candidates qualified to become anything, and that PKR is nothing but a vehicle to promote Anwar Ibrahim as the next Prime Minister, and stops at only that.

The above is evident in the latest cow-dung shat by PKR in the case of the Tian Chua-arranged meeting between Nurul Izzah and Jacel Kiram, discarding the sensitivities causedby the Lahad Datu intrusion.

So how much support does PKR and its loose coalition have nowadays?

The above Pakatan-organised (PKR) forum was held in Opposition-held Shah Alam, its own safe seat. Using the favourite opposition-leaning media’s words, “tens of thousands” attended. Here is a photo of the forum.

My guess is we will have a new Menteri Besar in Selangor – a DAP stooge. DAP as usual will have the most seats in Selangor and Mat Sabu-led Amananah will contest. Pseudo-religious voters will support Mat Sabu and his massacre of cartoons and among these DAP-friendly candidates, one will become the Menteri Besar-designate.
DAP will eventually have its way in Selangor.

While JAKIM could improve more than just being a body to justify what is Halal or Haram, I feel that it is a very much needed organisation to help regulate the understanding of Islam according to Mazhab Shafie of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah teachings.

Not Wahabbi, not Shiah. Not ISIS.

I don’t agree with some of JAKIM’s findings, but I don’t agree with calls to disband JAKIM. By NOT having JAKIM, however, only allows unwanted elements attack the foundation of those who do not have a good grasp of basic Islam – Fiqh and Tauhid. We see from time to time attempts are being made to proselytise Muslims; and we see how some have adopted very liberal interpretation of Fiqh to the point of mocking those conservative Muslims. We see how extremists have also taken advantage of the weak and those who do not practice by promising them paradise and so on so they would commit terrorism to “atone” for their sins as seen by the many number of Malaysians who suddenly think they can go to paradise by joining ISIS.

Today, another person has joined in the fray by mocking JAKIM.

Perhaps, this person who is always mudah lupa especially during the PKFZ hearings, has also lupa that he wants Malaysians to accept another version of Islam:

Before you begin thinking about what he has said, I would like you to ask yourselves if you would go down with him to Anwar’s favourite backyard?

A flight of B-52 bombers from the USAF flew around Second Thomas Shoal and Mischief Reef in the Spratlys and were quickly challenged by Chinese Air Traffic Controller during the weekend of the 8th and 9th November 2015.

US PACAF released the transcript of the exchange between the bombers and the Chinese ATC and was reproduced by Alert 5 and are as follows:

Reply from the B-52: “I’m a United States military aircraft conducting lawful activities in international waters, and exercising these rights as guaranteed by international law. In exercising these rights as guaranteed by international law, I am operating with due regard to the right and duties of all states.”

China has been making de facto claims on the Spratlys by doing reclamation works on reefs that include the construction of airfields and enforcing its “Nine-Dash Line” policy all the way into Malaysian Exclusive Economic Zone. Being the sole regional Big Brother China has been flexing its muscle against its smaller neighbours economically and militarily. China’s runway at Fiery Cross reef has a runway that could land a H-6G bomber that could operate 5,700 kilometres from a home base, not to mention Shenyang J-11 fighters that could operate within a radius of 1,400 kilometres. Malaysia is now within a 45-minute strike distance.

As if that is not enough, the threat if asymmetric warfare from Sulu in the southern Philippines is also a clear and present danger. On the 15th November 2015, the Abu Sayyaf was reported to have met with elements from the IS to conduct terrorist attacks in Malaysia. The Abu Sayyaf is also notorious fir the kidnappings of westerners and Malaysians alike.

RMAF assets involved in Ex Paradise 2/15 – photo by Marhalim Abas
With the above in mind, the Royal Malaysian Air Force conducted and concluded Exercise Paradise 2/15 from the 9th until the 20th November 2015. With the objective to test its combat readiness and capabilities in the Second Air Region, the RMAF deployed assets such as the F/A-18D Hornet, Su-30MKM Flanker, BAe Hawk, 108/208, C-130H-30 transport aircraft, KC-130 tankers, CN-235 transport aircraft, helos such as the Sikorsky S61A4 Nuri and the Eurocopter EC725 and also involved the RMAF Special Forces regiment. The Malaysian Army’s 10th Brigade (Para) provided a team of air despatchers.

A RMAF F/A-18D Hornet from No.18 Squadron – pic by Capt Rahmat
Up until the 18th November 2015, a total of 198 air sorties had been flown. During the Field Training Exercise (FTX) RMAF assets successfully conducted Air to Ground firing exercises as well as Air Drop operations and insertion of special forces elements to support ground operations.

During the War Exercise (WAREX), the assets were then combined for Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), High-Value Air Asset Protection (HVAAP), Combined Air Operations (COMAO), Mixed Fighter Force Operation (MFFO) and Large Force Employment (LFE).

According to Exercise Chairman, Major General Dato’ Mohd Shabre bin Haji Hussein RMAF, the exercise achieved more than 90 percent of its objectives in accordance with the Scenarios of Exercise (SOE) and was a success.

The media was also invited to witness the exercise in a bid by the Ministry of Defence as well as the RMAF in educating the media, and in turn the public, on the capabilities of the RMAF and the importance of public support towards the Malaysian Armed Forces in general.

Members of media had the privilege to take part in a Aircraft Force Down exercise involving fighter and transport assets.

Members of the media experiencing aircraft force down procedures in a side-exercise – photo by Fadzli Hafiz
In an observation by this writer, the Ministry of Defence has to seriously look at beefing up the assets of both the Royal Malaysian Air Force as well as the Royal Malaysian Navy. The Chinese government gets away with murder in the South China Sea simply because Malaysia lacks effective deterrence. The RMAF for example should be equipped with AWACS aircraft as well as the still-elusive MRCA.

A KC-130 tanker leading a formation of F/A-18Ds, Su-30MKMs and Bae Hawks – photo by MINDEF
This writer opines that in line with the principles of force projection, MRCAs should also be based in Labuan in sufficient numbers to deter the advance of PLAAF and PLAN assets, while the Hawks concentrate especially in providing air support for the ESSZONE by having forward operating bases in Tawau and Lahad Datu or Sandakan. Without strong deterrence, Malaysia will never be able to have diplomatic bargainjng power against any larger forces in the region.

Almost three years ago the nation witnessed the slaughter of several police officers and men by a bunch of low-life thugs from the Southern Philippines, men of the self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III landed in Kampung Tanduo in Lahad Datu and demanded for the return of Sabah to the Sultanate.

The women above lost their husband and their children have lost forever a normal life.

Treachery must run deep in Anwar’s family. On the 9th November 2015, his daughter and MP for Lembah Pantai, Nurul Izzah, went to lend her support to Jacel Kiram, daughter if the now rotting Jamalul Kiram III. Talk about insensitivity! Jacel Kiram still claims that Sabah belongs to Sulu.

To add insult to injury, DAP’s Teresa Kok had this to say to reporters about Nurul Izzah’s visit:

The visit is not serious, she said, and the events that took place at Kampung Tanduo is a bit of an old story.

I hope she could tell China to now stop asking for an apology from the Japanese, and that the Jews should forget the Holocaust ever happened.

Whoever votes for these MOs again ought to be castrated and raw iodine poured on their wound.

Muhyiddin isn’t new in the arena of backstabbing. He was rescued by Mahathir in 1995 after he fell out of favour with the then-Sultan of Johor when he was the Menteri Besar of Johor. Mahathir had him switch posts with Ghani Othman who was then the Minister for Culture, Youth and Sports.

He quickly aligned himself with Anwar Ibrahim whose meteoric rise to the Deputy Premier’s post was orchestrated by none other than Mahathir himself. So confident was Muhyiddin then that he announced to several reporters that “when Anwar becomes the PM, I will be his deputy.”

When Anwar fell out of favour with Mahathir, Muhyiddin immediately abandons Anwar and pledged allegiance to Mahathir while another close ally of Anwar then, Zahid Hamidi, languished in a cell of the Kamunting detention center under the ISA courtesy of Mahathir.

The Master of Backstabbing however isn’t Muhyiddin. He should remember, he is not the second person who thinks that the MM thing stands for Mahathir-Muhyiddin. Mahathir’s one-time deputy, Musa Hitam found that out the hard way.

Mahathir and Musa was thought to have forged a concrete partnership that made UMNO formidable. MM, people thought meant Mahathir-Musa. Both once were presented with a motorcycle each bearing the plate number MM1 and MM2 respectively. But a journalist once asked Mahathir what MM meant and he replied, “Mahathir Mohamad.”

Anwar too was almost certain of becoming the PM. Before he became DPM, Anwar used to go horseback riding with Mahathir,something the elder politician still does even when he is abroad in Argentina. When Anwar ousted Ghafar Baba, Mahathir said to his younger apprentice, “No more horseback riding, Anwar. It would be a security risk for us to be together.” Of course, in private Mahathir said something to the effect that “we might have a Brutus in the party.”

Mahathir ousted Musa, blocked Razaleigh, did nothing to help Ghafar Baba, ousted Anwar, and finally ousted Abdullah Badawi as the Prime Minister, reportedly with the help of Muhyiddin. Abdullah was too nice a man. Now he tries to get rid of Najib come what may.

Mahathir would oust anyone who disagrees with him as the puppet-master. Muhyiddin would likely face the same fate if he had become the PM. And when he doesn’t get things to go his way, he plucks stories from the sky and feeds them to thr masses, creating panic and distrust of the Najib administration. The universe, he thinks, must revolve around him.

3,228 years ago, someone with that similar thinking, that the world revolves around him, ruled Egypt with an iron fist, and lived as long as Mahathir is now.

And for someone who “gate-crashed” the “Nothing To Hide” program a few months ago because he was interested to speak out on behalf of the “oppressed” rakyat, I find it amusing that Mahathir did not take the opportunity to question Arul Kanda at this morning’s event where Arul explained and took questions on the 1MDB issue.